#in meteor impact when he was like its my job to know everything related to kanata (and the jobs related to his wishes--

[nazuna-tunnel-vision]

mikejima madara thoughts tonight

[yostresswritinggirl]

@butterfly-mochi​ Rewrote this freaking thing thrice because it keeps getting deleted wth tumblr agjvahkfajkvk- I enjoyed writing it a lot tho and since I’m too weak to the characters I ended up writing for all of them (except for Sucrose, im sorry bb huhu, I ran out of brain power). This is my first time writing for so many of them in one go so please excuse me for any mistakes or blandness ywy thank you for letting me write for my baby Ganyu too hhhhh

Universe Reversal 2

Genshin Impact Character Reader and Modern Players with Zhongli, Childe & Ganyu (how they simp for you) (event masterlist / Part 1 / Part 3)

Zhongli the F2P

The most relatable out of the bunch because this man is still broke and can only rely on the primogems he can farm. And he had a LOT. The one thing he doesn’t have a lot on, however, is his luck.

So how did he manage to pull you?: Well after exhausting all his primogem on your banner with nothing but weapons and other characters, he has lost his resolve. But by some weird luck, there was a character bug that was fixed and in his email was the almighty consolation primogem. Enough for ONE pull. And by the Gods he FINALLY got you.

He’d nonchalantly post his screenshot of pulling you using a single acquaint fate in his friend group without any words and everyone else just loses their shit. “You got them in one pull?!” “Yeah” A riot.

This was partnered with the fact that not only is Zhongli an F2P player, but also barely has any five star characters.

He looks calm and apathetic over the news, but behind the screen he’s exhausted and relieved, silently livid.

He has no primogems left to squeeze for a constellation so you’re instead pampered with the best weapon suitable for you (because that’s all he keeps getting).

Zhongles spends most of his time farming for materials to quickly level you up, unlocking all your stories and voiceline, but he fucked up on your build (his artifacts are messy).

He follows communities, forums and videos regarding your character to know all the things he needs to perfect your build. You can barely make a dent against normal mobs, so he knew he was doing something VERY wrong.

Is the type of person to keep refreshing the page for new content, very updated.

Ask him a question about your character and he’s gonna bring you the word vomit that is his research. He’s not gonna stop- probably accidentally developed a copypasta for you.

Also follows your VA in both Tiktok and Twitter to indulge in every bit of content. He also has that screenshot of his pull saved and locked.

On his birthday, a friend of his gifted him a chibi plushie of you and he has treasured it ever since, treating and handling it like its a figurine.

“It is merely pure luck and grace from the gacha gods that I got this character, and I will make sure that they know I am very grateful for this fortune.”

Favorite Voiceline: Birthday Message

Childe The Whaler

This lucky wealthy bastard with no remorse for his money whales for EVERY character. He’s making a collection, which is to get all the characters, especially the five stars. So when your banner finally popped up, he’s gonna square up and trigger a whole ass meteor shower.

How he pulled you: Money. His luck with this games are actually not the best so he always compensates with money, he got you halfway through the first failed pity, almost giving him a heart attack that he might actually break the bank just to get you.

And then he pulls more to raise your constellation lol.

The first thing he does is look over your character info and read through it all; constellation infos, your base stats, artifact compatibility.

At the end when he’s maximized everything, he would then focus on playing around with your character *coughs climbing noises coughs*

He thought you’d just be another part of his collection but playing with your character was very enjoyable and in-line with his playstyle- oops 100 screenshots with the Kamera-

Any and all merchandise that he fancies would be his, and he’s definitely flexing it to the other sweetie nerds who call themselves simps. He’s fighting for the simping title, and he’s currently neck and neck with this fanartist in Pixiv.

Speaking of that fanartist, he definitely commissioned an expensive and detailed portrait of you, full rights and everything. No one else was allowed to use it but him.

Was also the first one with the audacity to call out your VA to create an account on Tiktok to create more content with your voice. He was successful.

His obssession also comes in the form of self-indulgent contents, and had been keeping track of the ship wars happening. During conventions, he cosplays as the character shipped with you the most (or the character he thinks should end up with you).

Silently scrutinizing those who cosplay you, only ever taking pictures with/of the best looking one, sorry haha

Definitely flaunts that you are his waifu/husbando and will fight for best girl/best boy during debates or polls. Has mobilized the community to vote for you once. He’s very persuasive.

“Hm? Why I’m just the best collector in the game, and I am more than happy to let everyone know that I am their number one fan haha, everyone who claims otherwise is definitely wrong!”

Favorite Voiceline: More About (Y/N) I-IV, (Y/N)’s Hobbies...

Ganyu the Employed

Ganyu, our dearest overworker, is one of the players in the older stage who actually has a job but still plays Genshin for their past times. The gorgeous sceneries and the music is her main focus in playing the game, not much of a try-hard but still decent in the combat mechanics.

How she pulled you: You came home within 50 pulls! And you appeared again after another 10 pull! Ganyu was so SHOOKT and so distressed because oh goodness, what does she do? She doesn’t know anything much about you!

Will rewatch your three trailers to try and understand your skills better, ended up saving the soundtracks from them because that was such a nice trailer music! Tnbee gains a new follower!

Ganyu will take a while before she can properly play or build you up because she’s so busy with work, she only ever plays when she feels fully done with her work.

During her break she plays with your character while multi-tasking on eating, earphones plugged in and sight on the phone as she farms materials and artifacts for you.

The moment she gets more help from her player friends tho, holy shit, you just ended up being so OP. She had so many good artifacts and weapons for you because she didn’t know what they were for before.

She loves how you’re so easy to use and can easily solo the enemies and even the boss fights. A huge breather, because now Ganyu can cheese the battles that takes a while, to give her more time to focus on the storyline and lores.

Since Ganyu plays for the story and aesthetic, she’ll find you almost always in her team. Still very proud of her pull, she makes the best screenshots of your fights or in the best angle through exploration.

Treasures you so much she starts talking to her phone- “Ah, no, please don’t fall.” “There’s violetgrass up there, let’s try and get it”

Blushes everytime you produce a sound when climbing, doesn’t change you anyways tho

Hums to your trailer music while working, and if permitted, would have the song on repeat while she buries herself in work. She finds it really refreshing and the time she spends in work miraculously flies by fast when she gets lost in the sound.

At one point, when she was given a day-off or if the convention was on her free time, she attends to look for cosplayers of you and take a picture. No one rejects her because she’s so adorable and cute when asking shyly.

Had brought a decent amount of merchandise, preferably the functional/practical ones like a phone cover, mug or keychain. Also has an earphones clamp with your little chibi self as the holder.

When asked, she would shyly announce that she likes your character the most.

“Their character theme and music really soothes me during work, it feels nice to have them, and I have not once regretted ever pulling for them. They are the best.”

Favorite Voicelines: Good Night/Afternoon..., About Us, Something To Share..., Interesting Things...

so enjoyable...

@moaa @zelos-simp @legionqueensav @dandelion-dreams @snackgod @rxsalinee

[abundantchewtoys]

HS Epi: Meat p21 reaction

So, Dave, huh?

Doesn't seem as if Dirk is expecting him to fall unconscious too from the looks of it.

But that doesn't mean that he might not. It depends on who's really behind the condition, Dirk or Alternate Calliope.

You'd think Dave might get called by Roxy when they can't wake Jade up, but that might happen in the latter half of the page.

It's notable that Dirk even as almost omniscient narrator seems harried to continue acknowledging certain scenes. As if he fears he might be influenced.

"DAVE: holy shit thats disgusting KARKAT: DON’T BE A FUCKING XENOPHOBE DAVE: im not being a xenophobe" Yeah Dave, be more sensitive towards the people whose body image is celestial. :P

"Karkat doesn’t respond immediately. He shuffles his feet to the edge of the outcropping they’re standing on and stares down at the brood pit, where the Mother Grub of Earth C is squelching out unfertilized jelly." :O They actually left their hive! And they're meeting up with Kanaya! So... yeah, didn't think we'd require further indulging into the reproductive cycle of trolls, we had TMI already, but here we are. :P Jelly to go into the slurry, unfertilized like fish eggs. Joy.

"No answer. This silence makes Dave actually back up for three seconds and think about what the hell just came out of his mouth." Karkat's just distracted, thinking of something else or looking for Kanaya, I suspect, but Dave goes reading too much into it.

"Dave could definitely be handling this situation with a certain measure of restraint or grace. But he’s got my genes, so he decides to handle it a different way than that." Well, Dirk did say he owned his own faults. He wasn't lying.

"DAVE: but im almost as passionate about this troll speciesism thing as i am about the economy which you may not have known is my number one" Heh, Dave's really getting worked up about this, assuming he came over poorly.

"Karkat still doesn’t answer. He’s staring real intently at the jelly." He doesn't spot any mutations, by chance?

"KARKAT: HEY DIPSHIT, SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE. KARKAT: I’M NOT IGNORING YOU BECAUSE I’M MAD. DAVE: what DAVE: that wasnt what i KARKAT: I KNOW THAT YOU PERISH LIKE A DELICATE LILAC BLOOM IN THE FUCKING DESERT IF NOT SHOWERED WITH MY VERBAL ATTENTION AT ALL TIMES. KARKAT: BUT I’M KIND OF WITNESSING THE REBIRTH OF MY ENTIRE FUCKING SPECIES RIGHT HERE. KARKAT: YOU EVER THINK THAT THIS MIGHT BE A MONUMENTAL MOMENT FOR ME?" Wow, this is actually really much more like the Karkat we're used to hearing rants from.

I can definitely understand he feels some very heavy feelings right now, since everything that happened in the A2 session and after has lead to this moment. So I'm definitely allowing Karkat a measure of solemnness, and perhaps even feeling proud and aloof at the achievement.

"Dave comes to the edge of the outcropping, standing shoulder to shoulder with Karkat as he too observes the majesty of translucent goo getting birthed out of an alien asshole." So majestic. I'm definitely getting "Mufasa showing Simba the Pride Lands" vibes from this scene. :P

"KARKAT: WHAT PART OF THIS IS DISGUSTING? KARKAT: IS IT THE SLOW DEFLATING OF ITS DISTENDED ABDOMEN? KARKAT: THE SOUND OF DOZENS OF SEGMENTED LEGS CLACKING AGAINST ITS EXOSKELETON? KARKAT: THE UNFERTILIZED SLURRY BEING SLOWLY SQUEEZED FROM ITS OVIPOSITIONAL SPHINCTER? KARKAT: IS THAT IT? IS THAT DISGUSTING TO YOU DAVE? DAVE: kind of KARKAT: ... KARKAT: YOU’RE RIGHT KARKAT: IT’S HORRIBLE" You know when people sum up three items, the third one is often the most important one. :P And yeah, I figure Karkat can still see how horrific this is even as a troll himself. We know how much he could get grossed out by Equius' sweat and strongly voiced his dissent, and this is a whole new level of excrements.

"KANAYA: Im Sorry But I Can Hear You From Down Here" Kanaya has excellent hearing, being able to discern their blabbering from all the squelching and clacking. It might the rainbow drinker abilities.

"She’s glowing. Her skin, I mean." Yes, we already established she and Rose would adopt, if they'd ever go for progeny, if Rose can be convinced. :P

"Kanaya steps out from beneath the canopy where she was doing grub science, wiping her hands on a silk cloth." It's cool to see Kanaya do such a Jade-like activity! It's actually quite logical that her kind would be well versed in biology, given their strong dependence on the grub for (biological) reproduction.

"Her mood can be politely described as pensive." ... Something might be bothering her. A lack of donations, so far? It's not as if the imperial drone system will be set again, right? Depends on how they did things on Beforus, which she might shed light on. ... Figuratively.

"DAVE: whats shaking sis KANAYA: Must You Always Call Me That DAVE: nah but it does feel pretty rad to say DAVE: like wow my sister in law is an alien how" Pffff, yeah, that's right! Well, that's the first time someone besides Calliope (and Joey) is called sis! What'd that make Karkat to Rose? :P Since he has ties to both Kanaya and Dave.

"DAVE: i love our awesome planet where everyone is free to form xenophilic family units without fear of government interference or reprisal" That's an odd thing to say, but okay.

"Karkat pauses to imitate a very common Davism that involves two hands and a double-wrist swivel. It’s an incredibly good imitation, because he sees this particular bit of body language like ten times a day." ... Does Dave make a jazz hands signal when he's trying to change the subject? :D

"KARKAT: IT’S THE STUPIDEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN AND YOU DO IT LIKE TEN TIMES A DAY." ... Is Karkat picking that up from the narration, unconsciously?

"DAVE: im dropping a beat DAVE: like im using a turntable and scratching one song into another" ... Well then, less dorky and more related to his interests than I thought.

"KARKAT: IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE TRYING TO FOLD LAUNDRY YOU FORGOT TO IRON." At this point both he and Dave have forgotten Kanaya's presence. :P

"KANAYA: So This Is About The Election KARKAT: AH." She was expecting them. I wonder if they'll get as much an evasive answer as Roxy and Calliope gave Jade.

"KANAYA: I Do Get The Internet Down Here" Pretty good reception though! 'The Internet', such a Kanaya-ism.

"KANAYA: I Am Impressed That You Managed To Be Seen In Front Of That Many People Without Spontaneously Bursting Into Flames" So he gave a public statement! Nice.

"KARKAT: WOW THANKS, ANOTHER VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FROM ONE OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS." Yeah, well, your speeching days are kind of behind you, and even then it was only in front of 12 people, she may or may not have a point.

"KARKAT: THIS CONDESCENSION IS REALLY RICH COMING FROM THE PERSON WHO DECIDED HER NARCISSISTIC OBSESSION WITH BEING THE ONE TO HATCH THE MOTHER GRUB WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN NOT SEEDING OUR PLANET WITH A STOPGAP SYSTEM OF REPRODUCTION THAT WOULD CAUSE SYSTEMIC SPECIESISM TO OSSIFY INTO SOCIETY FOR 5000 YEARS." Pfff, Karkat already mentioned he discussed these topics so often with Kanaya over the phone. It'll be interesting to hear her retort.

"KANAYA: But I Do Not Think It Is Productive To Attribute These Resultant Troubles To A Single Decision Or Individual KANAYA: It Stands In The Way Of Our Efforts To Address Them KARKAT: MMNNNRRRGHHH......... DAVE: (shhhhhh)" I like this, Kanaya's right in absolving herself at least in part of the blame for the end result. Karkat is doing wonders in restraining himself from shouting. Dave is shooshing Karkat.

"KAYANA: You Know As Well As I Do That We Must Present A United Front" Yeah, that'd be best to not cause societal upheaval. But they're not doing a good job already of course, running two different campaigns.

"KANAYA: I Have Nothing But The Utmost Faith In You" ... is the new "I believe in you".

"Kanaya reaches out to put a hand on Karkat’s head. He doesn’t duck away in time, and she gives him an affectionate, matronly hair-ruffle between his horns." I love how Kanaya's motherly/sisterly feelings towards Karkat manifest sometimes. :D *pap pap good crab*

"KANAYA: While I Know That It Is Difficult For You To Take A Direct Compliment KANAYA: I Have In The Past Put My Faith In You When The Threat To Our Survival Has Been Immediate And Literal KANAYA: Its Basically Nothing To Ask Me To Do It Again Now That The Threat Is Far More ... KANAYA: *Existential*" Awww. Yeah, she always was one of his closest confidantes. Even going through with the trolling of the kids when she didn't feel like it would be that effective. And she's right, the dangers now are far more vague.

"KANAYA: Is How I Think I Shall Put It KANAYA: If We Are Going To Be Polite" ... And personal, I guess, since they come from within their own group. (Let's be honest, the trolls were a team but not a cohesive one. In that regard, the players on Earth C are far more kin.

"Dave is watching her, but Karkat’s looking contemplatively at his entwined hands. Kanaya’s right: it’s almost excruciating for him to take a completely unironic compliment, especially face-to-face, like what she just said to him. I understand this about Karkat. It’s one of the precious few things he and I have in common." Well, it stands to reason that if Karkat has a lot in common with Dave, he'd have a lot in common with Dirk too! But maybe some of those things are not part of the same set.

"We internalize and project the quality in very different ways, however, which is why I’m going to win." Here goes Dirk again, assuming he's the real leader on his side. He assumes his way of dealing with compliments will make him come off better, but he might just seem arrogant.

"KANAYA: Jane Has Been Here To Speak With Me Recently In Fact" Oh! I actually figured the issue was being discussed over the heads of the actual people impacted by a decision. ... Like is so often the case on our own Earth.

"KANAYA: You Know I Do Like Jane KANAYA: In Some Regards She Reminds Me Of A Friend We Had Who Sadly Did Not Survive Our Time On The Meteor" Feferi?

"KANAYA: She Was Unfailingly Kind To Everyone She Met But She Also Happened To Be The Heiress To The Throne Of A Vast And Bloody Empire" Aww. We didn't have much interaction between them, but it seems she held Feferi in high regard. It would have been a different empire under her. Different from Beforus as well, since the troll race had been influenced so severely by Doc Scratch and )(IC by then already.

"KANAYA: And While She Had A Lot Of Opinions On Reform She Had Already Wrenched Some Of Her Power From Our Last Empress In The Traditional Manner" Via the lusus. That might be her reasoning behind waiting until after the time skip to hatch the Grub. For the bond that would form between troll and grub. Maybe she felt she alone could handle the responsibility, or she craved a little sliver of that contact she lossed with her own custodian.

"Karkat finally looks up at the description of one of their many dead friends." Yeah, this would surely stir something with him as well.

"She rests an ear against the rise of its massive stomach, then taps the shell with two perfectly manicured fingernails." That calls back to when she got the matriorb out from her dead lusus' body.

"KANAYA: By Which I Mean That Jane Is Perfectly Pleasant And I Believe That She Has Only The Best Of Intentions KANAYA: But I Cant Shake The Feeling That Deep Inside Her Lurks The Potential For Despotism" Yeah, we know how it could have manifested in Feferi from Beforus.

"KARKAT: OKAY I GET WHY YOU GUYS KEEP CALLING JANE A CRYPTO-FASCIST KARKAT: BUT FUCKING FEFERI? SHE WAS HARMLESS. KANAYA: These Things Take Time To Gestate Karkat DAVE: damn" Dave is impressed by Kanaya's political analysis.

"KANAYA: Power Corrupts In Small Steps KANAYA: Compromises KANAYA: Concessions KANAYA: Appeasements KANAYA: And Leaders Follow The Example Set For Them KANAYA: Look At What Jane Has Modeled Herself After Already" So maybe the situation on Beforus wasn't Feferi's doing single-handedly, just a situation that grew and grew over millennia. A goal reached by means bartered over, the result corrupted in the process of achieving it.

I don't think Jane really modelled herself after the Condesce consciously, but if it's the only example of a powerful business woman she had, then of course she'd unknowingly copy some bad habits she doesn't think are bad.

"KANAYA: This Is Why I Trust You Karkat KANAYA: Because You Listen To Advice From Below And Beside You Not From Above" Plus, the Sufferer is his precedent, whether he believes in him or not. And yes, Karkat might admire achievements made by what he believes to be his betters (Vriska, Meenah, the Condesce), but he's learned not to copy their behaviour.

"DAVE: so weve got your endorsement then

She laughs, not kindly. KANAYA: Jane Offered Me “A Seat” On The “Board Of Responsible Troll Reproduction” KARKAT: WHAT THE FUCK. HOW DARE SHE! KANAYA: That Is Exactly What I Said" Wow, yeah, that was definitely inconsiderate of Jane. Trolls should be the end responsible of their own reproduction, and if there's a board, there's a chairman, but as long as there's a president above either and she's human, the inequality persists.

"RECREATION SPRAWL" Troll term for park.

"KANAYA: In Case You Cant Tell I Am Actually Fucking Furious About This" Well, thanks Kanaya, I really couldn't!

"KANAYA: Our Reproduction Method Is Alien And Unfamiliar KANAYA: To A Human It Must Sound Monstrous KANAYA: Uncontrolled Even" While it wasn't, of course, there's a rhyme and reason to it. Especially considering the dangers on Alternia, a big pool of spawn to go through the trials is necessary. ... I wonder if they're going to set up new trials on Earth C, in the brooding caverns?

Come to think of it... What the grubs go through... It's kind of similar in a way to how in humans, the male sperm has to survive the trip to the egg cell.

"KARKAT: WHEN I HEAR ABOUT HOW HUMAN GRUBS CHEW THEIR WAY OUT OF THE FEMALE MATESPRIT’S ABDOMINAL HOLE BEFORE CONSUMING THE WOMB MEMBRANE IT MAKES ME WANT TO VOMIT." That's... well, a different phrasing but still close to the truth. Makes us sound like birds hatching from an egg, though.

"KANAYA: I Hope That There Is At Least One Principle We Share As A Planet KANAYA: Which Is That We Must All Work To Ensure Equal Dignity And Respect For Every Species" It's sad that in real life, so many people disagree.

"KANAYA: Otherwise KANAYA: What Was This All For

The three of them stare at the floor in adorably cartoonish synchronicity. What was this all for, indeed?" It's almost as if they're looking down to the narration, acknowledging Dirk's presence. :P

"Morality is a cultural construct. It’s pure ego for any of them to believe that their personal interpretation of it will result in the most effective laws." As for your personal interpretation, Dirk? :P

"DAVE: would you be willing to say that exactly but DAVE: like in front of a huge crowd DAVE: and also a television crew or six" She'd actually pull it off better than Karkat. Maybe she could be his press speechperson on troll subjects? :P

"KARKAT: OR MAYBE JUST IN FRONT OF JAKE ENGLISH? KANAYA: Oh Dear Has Jane Recruited Jake" The Jakestakes return. Kanaya also believes in that Jake will sway the vote.

"KANAYA: That Would Be Disastrous KANAYA: He Is Beloved In The Troll Kingdom For His Perky Ass" Why. Of all the universal constants.

"DAVE: seriously? KARKAT: I TOLD YOU IT’S NOT JUST ME! KANAYA: It Has Some Terrible Arcane Power KANAYA: I Have Never Seen Anything Like It" It's like his <3 quadrant, a black hole everything is attracted to.

"DAVE: but jane is one of his best friends so we gotta approach this with a scorched earth policy DAVE: give him a whole cadre of sob stories thatll make him feel all manly and heroic for lending his support DAVE: just gift wrapping babies for him to kiss KARKAT: TROLL BABIES EVEN? DAVE: sure that can be part of the deal he can kiss the first natural born grub right on its gooey lil head" He'd don a mayoral sash, top hat, fake moustache and monocle for the occasion, I can just picture it.

"KANAYA: Have You Spoken To Rose Yet DAVE: uh no DAVE: i mean DAVE: shes

Dave mimes laying down and taking pills. The look Kanaya gives him is neither fond nor patronizing." Very tactful, Dave, real smooth. At least Dave didn't bother Rose while she's otherwise occupied, like during the start of their session. Progress, right?

"DAVE: whats up with that anyway DAVE: are you guys uh DAVE: grub pregnant" Oh, yeah I should have figured Dave would start wildly guessing when not knowing the specifics behind the migraine.

"DAVE: cmon karkat dont you wanna be an uncle to a lil bundle of love and unnatural genetic tampering" Oh, now the baby became a genetically manipulated crossbreed. Jegus, Dave.

"DAVE: ok stop freaking out im just saying from what i understand of troll reproduction it would be technically possible for a troll and human to KANAYA: No DAVE: and with ectobiology anythings possible" Well, it's true the fandom speculated about crossbreeds, but uh, Dave is just approaching the subject from the worst angle.

"DAVE: i dunno its just unusual for rose to brush me off for our annual ecto sibling oversharing session" I would have thought they'd AT LEAST schedule it monthly, not annually. :P

"DAVE: shes been sick for a while DAVE: either shes pregnant or i got reasons to be worried" And NOW we get to the REAL reason Dave's breached the subject.

"DAVE: id be cool with it yknow DAVE: bring on the rosemary combo grubs KANAYA: Rosemary" Hah, nice! Shipping name dropped! Maybe that's what Dave thinks of them in his mind sometimes, like how "Dave and Karkat" became a concept to their friends.

"DAVE: like rose plus your last name which is maryan or something right KANAYA: Maryam" Oh Dave, inconsiderate much? :P

"DAVE: the rosemary babies would have her hair and your horns or whatever DAVE: like when two cartoon animals of different species give in to their lust and have preposterous children" Like what Dirk drew for Jake and Roxy.

"KANAYA: Im Going To Call My Wife And You Are Going To Stop Talking" Oh boy, here we go. Is Dirk going to answer? Making him both narrator and character at the same time? Is he going to impersonate Rose? Or will Rose unexpectedly wake up?

"Dave and Karkat bicker about what their combo kids would look like, in the event that they decided to stop being such laughable wusses" Even Dirk is rooting for them, kind of. And why would they even discuss this subject if the subject of becoming more than friends even scares them so much they don't acknowle- wait I answered my own question.

"Rose’s line rings for a long time. It’s unusual, she thinks. Rose rarely leaves her phone unattended." She rarely leaves an occasion hanging to be able to speak long sentences.

"Rose is in absolutely no condition to be having a conversation with anyone. Not even her cherished bride. DIRK: Hey," Is Dirk going to lie, I wonder. It would just be another mark against him, but a big one, as it'd be a confirmed action of malicious intent.

"Kanaya’s voice turns sharp right away. KANAYA: Excuse Me

She can sense that something’s wrong." Alright! He won't be able to spin the wheel on her, if he'd wish to do so.

"She’s also smart enough, and facile enough in handling questionable men" - right, Doc Scratch.

"to understand that she quickly needs to regulate the tone of her voice for diplomatic purposes. KANAYA: Dirk KANAYA: Is That You" Not fooling him at all, Kanaya, he knows you know it's him. This turned almost into a call with a hostage-holder.

"I don’t answer immediately. I’m distracted by something." His own narration, or something happening to Rose? ... Or perhaps... Perhaps Dirk is making contact with Reload Dirk, if he still exists. It would be something if he lost touch with Earth C for a while.

Perhaps it's more like what Blaperile thinks, Dirk is being distracted by events in the Furthest Ring, leading up to the upcoming perspective switch.

"She really should chill out, anyway. I’ve got everything under control. Not that she’ll ever be able to fully appreciate this." Well that's the understatement of the year. Kanaya would never forgive him, and it's only questionable if a lot of his other friends will. It'll dependent on further developments.

"I don’t have time to explain right now. John’s doing something vaguely important to the plot again." You'd think that what we last saw, John and the wallet, is where we'd continue his scene. But maybe Dirk fastforwarded his narration of John (he showed off at one point and let him spend a few hours, remember?), and now Rose's timeline caught up.

But this means Dirk's currently not in a state to answer Kanaya, but what does that mean? Is he going to freeze with Rose's phone in hand for a few hours, or has he broken off the call to "write" the narration?

"DIRK: Kanaya, I don’t have time to explain right now." That's not an acceptable answer for her and you know it. Unless he has her fall unconscious, too, Dave and Karkat and her are going to come over!

"DIRK: John’s doing something vaguely important to the plot again." Wow, he actually repeated his narration into the phone. He really doesn't control his situation as much as he thinks.

"KANAYA: Dirk... KANAYA: What DIRK: This is gonna have to wait. KANAYA: Dirk DIRK: I’m putting you on hold, ok? KANAYA: DIRK!" "Putting you on hold", pfffff. It's a personal cliffhanger for Kanaya. At least he's partially outed himself to the other people now. Unless he can continue his conversation with her with a 'reasonable' delay of only a few seconds from her perspective, and then proceeds to smoothly talk around what he told her, with his narration powers influencing her to drop the subject.

[queencanaries]

The Flash | “Going Rogue”

“The Streak stops a robbery but the culprits get away after shooting a guard, and The Flash chooses to save the man instead of following the criminals. Joe shows Barry a book of suspects and Barry identifies Leonard Snart as the leader of the group. While investigating the case, Barry gets a surprise visit from an old friend - Felicity Smoak, who heard about his new abilities and came to check them out for herself. Dr. Wells is furious when he finds out that Cisco built the cold gun without telling anyone and now it’s missing. Meanwhile, Iris is getting the silent treatment from Joe because of her relationship with Eddie. Finally, The Streak and Captain Cold have an epic confrontation.”

The lightning gave him friends too... awww :’) 

“Checkmate” doesn’t sound like chess to me anymore, it just reminds me of AMANDA WALLER because I’m DC trash

Ohhh it’s Captain Cold

Eddie don’t talk about Iris on the job fuck sake 

“Leonard Snart” 

I’m going to have to preface this by telling everyone that I’m not a fan of Captain Cold but I haven’t seen all his appearances so maybe that’ll change. 

Iris and Barry are so cute together. They MAKE the show what it is to me. 

EW ITS FELICITY *projectile vomits* 

YOU HEAR HER VOICE BEFORE YOU SEE HER AND I PANICKED

“You lost your cool” trololololol

This guy called Barry “The Blur” oh my god Smallville feels

FUCK HE SHOT HIM

Doesn’t Felicity have enough dick in Star City? Why is she here? 

I hate that they make everything sexual for Felicity. She says normal things and then has to be like “I DIDN’T MEAN YOUR DICK” 

DON’T TRUST HER BARRY SHE’S A SNAKE

“I’m really good at keeping secrets” LOL NO UR NOT FEFE BOMBS

This entire episode feels like they’re just jerking Felicity off. I hate it. 

YES JOE DRAG HIMMMMM

“That girl is great” no Iris she’s a SNAKE

I have second hand embarrassment from what Felicity showed up in

Harrison fuck off stop being mean to Cisco :(((

I cannot stand Felicity and how they try to make her “funny and adorable and so totally relatable” it’s so try hard stoppppp

Wait so did Cisco build that weapon that Captain Cold is using and he just killed someone with it? HOLY SHIT

YAS CAITLIN i’m so glad she’s protecting CISCO on this one

Joe made me cry. 4 for 4. 

FOR FUCK SAKE HOW MANY TIMES ARE THEY GONNA MAKE FELICITY BE LIKE “LOL I DIDN’t MEAN COME AND FUCK ME” just stop with this shit its not cute 

I do like the idea that Barry has this perception of what a team should be and wants his team to fall into place immediately. Felicity telling him that it didn’t happen like that and it took time felt like a good development for Barry. He definitely has Oliver on this pedestal to begin with. 

“When it comes to hacking I’m the fastest woman alive” FUCKING EMBARRASSING LMAOOOOO

Felicity clicks like two keys on a keyboard and is like “okay I’m in” what a jooooooke

This scene on the train with Barry was such a beautifully shot moment -- the people who work on The Flash are incredible. 

IT WAS A VACUUM CLEANER?!?! HAHAHAHA I LOVE CISCO 

Awww and so begins the Barry/Cisco bromance

God. You just get the vibe (no pun intended) that Harrison would literally kill Cisco if he did something like that again... creeeepy. 

“From now on... no more secrets” BUT THERE IS STILL THE BIG SECRET UGH I HATE THIS

“Did I just yelp? I’m so quirky ermergerd” *projectile vomits* 

God. Oliver and Felicity are the worst. It honestly disgusts me at this point how an ACCURATE COMIC BOOK SHOW is talking about their ICONIC LOVE but comparing it to some SHITTY FANFIC SHIP on an INACCURATE COMIC BOOK SHOW. The worst. 

“Bye Barry” stay gone bish

OoOooOoOoOoo heatwave

Honestly, my least favourite episode so far. This show honestly doesn’t need ARROW to survive. It doesn’t need ARROW to be relevant and therefore it really doesn’t need Felicity Smoak. The way they pimped her out through this entire episode was ridiculous -- from Iris saying how great she is, to Harrison talking about how there’s all this promising shit in her future... I hated it. She doesn’t feel like a real human character and no matter what they do to make her seem “quirky and relatable” it always falls flat. It’s not real. It’s more fake than a lightning bolt hitting someone and turning them into a speedster, you know? It just doesn’t resonate with me. I appreciated her role in helping Team Flash come together which was done through her experience on Team Arrow, but beyond that it was like... fuck off already, haha! Anyway, beyond that -- I loved the Joe/Iris storyline. It was important to address how her relationship with Eddie is impacting him and his own relationship with Eddie as partners. And it was nice to see Cisco’s arc and his involvement in creating Captain Cold. I really like the fact that he took precautions in case Barry went psycho. It reminds me of Smallville and how being “meteor infected” usually meant going crazy and playing for team evil. I think they portrayed Cisco’s reasoning really well and I love that Caitlin had his back. Anyway... it was a pretty shit episode. I don’t feel like watching anymore tonight after it. Killed the mood. 

[nozomijoestar]

Review of Your Name (君の名は)

This review will contain spoilers so please do not read if you plan on going to see this movie and do not want any part of the experience ruined. 

I have three major gripes with this film that is otherwise excellently sound and worthy of all its praise (as are many Makoto Shinkai works). I’ll address these first then go on to the rest of the movie from sound design, to animation, to voice acting (please note I have only seen the English dub in theaters so this is the only performance I can draw from). I’d like to add that this is one of those films I highly recommend watching in a movie theater. The sense of atmosphere and scale is improved upon by the size of a theater’s capabilities. 

1. The Opening Sequence at the beginning should have been omitted entirely.

Not only was it rather jarring to see an OP in the style of an animated TV show in something like a feature film, it was also a giant guarantee that Mitsuha will survive the events of the comet that originally did kill her. Looking back on that sequence the longer one progresses through the movie, all the excellently mounting and central tension around whether or not Itomori and in turn Mitsuha can be saved is ruined by her adulthood appearance already being shown to the viewer within the first two to three minutes of the first shots. This drags down some of the enjoyability of trying to resolve the main conflict and makes Taki’s actions and the lengths he went to save her and everyone fall rather flat knowing from the get go that he will succeed. See, if this were a clearly not as ambitious title as one of my other favorite series Girls und Panzer- I would be willing to forgive this and enjoy the ride rather than most of the set up. However here in a film that both sells itself and thrives in setting serious, believable tone and atmosphere that is clearly trying to achieve more than placing some great set pieces and decently entertaining characters, I’m going to expect it to try harder to keep us on the edge of our seats and guessing. While this wasn’t a factor that killed the entire movie for me outright, it was definitely a damper and something I’m going to have to detract points from. 

2. Many of the insert songs (not the original composed pieces) were overused as to be annoying and forgettable with the exception of the final credits song

One of the other few things that bugged me constantly throughout the movie and which at times broke my immersion to focus more on that problem than a scene was the music placement. Instead of mostly using appropriate pieces to strengthen a scene (something Shinkai did better in his 2007 film 5 Centimeters Per Second), full length pop like music with matching lyrics was used; its vocals not only detracting from the built emotion scene by scene that was sufficient to stand on its own, but ruining some of that built tone by clashing it’s own different musical tone to instead work against a scene rather than help its impact. Thankfully, all four of these songs themselves at least are not repeated throughout the entirety of the film, but the moments where they are definitely make themselves noticeable. 

3. The explanation for why Mitsuha and Taki switch bodies while nicely implied on several occasions is never believably explained and can feel rather contrived 

This was definitely one of the aspects of the film where the writing team’s frustrations at making one of their key elements feel fleshed out was palpable. The way I understood it, you can take the explanation for why these two are able to take each others place three ways. Three ways that very heavily tie into each other as to feel like each one is supposed to cover the other ones ass if it falls short simply due to how similar in theme they are. Mitsuha and Taki can switch bodies because of the following:

Mitsuha’s family having the closest tie to the god who’s shrine they upkeep, therefore when she wished for a different life the deity indulged her especially accounting for how difficult her life had been and how victimized she was by her classmates

OR

The event of the comet was also tied to the god and divine forces in general, perhaps the work of a god who opposed the shrine god Mitsuha’s family served as the name of the comet Tiamat is the name of a god of primordial destruction in Mesopotamian lore. This god could have sent the meteor to Itomori to destroy it as an act against it’s own god- who then uses the switching of Mitsuha’s body with Taki three years in the future as a way to get someone to prevent Itomori’s destruction through the body of one of its shrine caretakers and also in turn bring fated lovers together (if this was all the case though the god could have simply counterattacked and prevented the meteor from falling outright thus canceling the whole movie though this can be argued against on reasonable grounds that the Itomori god is not strong enough to fight a greater god such as Tiamat as it only controls a town) 

OR

Because Mitsuha’s family is directly responsible for taking care of the town god and have been doing so for countless generations, they have simply been granted the ability to randomly switch bodies with someone they desire to for a limited period of time (likely until either they or the other person die as the link between Taki and Mitsuha is initially severed upon her death in the original timeline) and can pass this ability best if the mother of a child in their family is a Miyamizu (since both Mitsuha’s mother and grandmother have done this at earlier points in their lives), thus Mitsuha is just awakening her ability after wishing desperately to be someone else however it all happened to coincide with the Tiamat Comet though the two aren’t necessarily related

That all being said, again, these three things are only implied at best, and neither lead to a single compelling explanation and instead serve to pull the reasoning in more offshooting and conflicting directions than it helps to create a unifying believable cause (ironic given that one of the central themes of the story is the idea of unity which otherwise is wonderfully done) 

This concludes my main gripes

From here on out I’ll cover the film from a technical perspective

The sound design is excellent, accurate, and properly implemented and does wonders to increase immersion and bring the setting to life. The world feels familiar, vibrant and alive. Every train grinding on the tracks, every text bloop and bleep, every rustle of leaves and doors opening or shutting is as intense as it can be subtle. These audible cues combined with stunning, gorgeous, and masterful visuals combine to form a presentation that absolutely grabs hold of the viewers attention and refuses to let go in a delightful way. You’re in the countryside or in the heart of Tokyo and you stay there, something that also brilliantly highlights the differences and similarities to Taki and Mitsuha’s contrasting environments; while greatly strengthening how they react when thrown into these opposing types of setting. Expert use of various camera angles in addition to these factors further heightens the impact on the senses; doing an amazing job of displaying shifting senses of scale, character emotion, and aiding in location transitioning (such as the ever present shots of doors being opened from a floor level view that not only bring a sense of mystery to each transition in this manner but are aesthetically pleasing and contribute to setting a location’s tone for the following scene taking place in it by adding various degrees of urgency that is applied to how the door is opened). 

Setting is in fact a great segway into characters, as the almost otherworldly portrayal of the world with how crisp it is in addition to the fantastical/supernatural element of the plot serve to make the realistic and grounded characters stand out. The characters themselves, from our two protagonists to the minor players are all believable, carrying familiar human struggles, wants, and needs despite and in response to the impossible things that happen to them. I would actually wholly enjoy a spinoff feature with characters like Teshi and Saya or even Mitsuha’s dad or grandmother in her youth taking center stage after seeing how well they were put together in this film. Taki and Mitsuha’s curiosity and panic upon first switching immediately felt both relatable and entertaining (I’d touch my own dong to make sure it was actually real after suddenly waking up in a stranger’s body the same way I’d touch the titties if I were a man switching suddenly into a girl’s body too- my mom and I had many laughs over this one) They struggled not only with being thrust suddenly into alien environments but also in everything from how to use pronouns, to communicating with their opposite’s friends and family members, to adapting with what was given to them on such short notice (or even taking advantage of it in the way Mitsuha first abuses Taki’s paycheck to eat the sweets she never had at the first real cafe she’d ever seen). Their method of communicating with each other too progresses in a realistic way, going from rushed and sloppy scribbling on each others bodies as memos- to leaving thought out reports on their phones the longer they grow familiar with their situation. It’s this careful and lifelike handling of their back and forth conversations over the slightest action before they’ve even met that makes the bond they eventually form viable and tangible. It expertly builds and mounts the suspense the viewer holds in wanting them to finally meet face to face. And when they finally do, especially after the revelation of being two people at different points in time (something that also eliminates the solution of simply being able to call each other and something they both try to no avail because you can’t call someone three years apart from you) it’s a massive relief and honest joy. The rat race and desperate struggle Taki went through while using his memories as Mitsuha in order to save her; and her eager hope to find and impress the guy who in a way gave her the life she always wanted met head on and bleed through the full weight of their emotions not only for the people and experiences they’d had while switching and for themselves, but also each other. Their gradual friendship then love solidifies itself in the sacrifices and risks they are willing take for each other- having come as a result of making small talk via their reports, doing each other favors via interactions with the other characters who are unique to either of them, and resonating with the resulting thrill being someone else gave them. In switching places, they grew to have each others backs in daily life, which realistically built the trust between them that opens up and evolves into a truly believable and lasting connection between two people who understand each other and genuinely should be together (which is more and beyond what I can say for 99% of any romance or even friendship I’ve ever seen).

As I have only seen the English dub, this is one of the extremely rare dubs I’ve listened to where I feel the dubbed acting was solid, pleasant, and helped convey the character’s personalities and shifting emotions as much as I imagine its native language did. Of note, I believe Stephanie Sheh’s performance as Mitsuha was the best portrayal of her entire career to date that I’ve heard. None of the characters felt wildly off thanks to the charming and professional performances of their respective VAs, again even with the minor characters. 

In conclusion, I overall loved every possible aspect of Makoto Shinkai’s “Your Name”; even with things I found to be flaws. I was absolutely captivated and spellbound the entire time I watched. I didn’t even touch my candy or much of my water after the first seven minutes and onward. The one time I desperately had to pee I felt horrible for having to break away for even a moment out of the theater and away from watching the movie. I literally ran to and from the bathroom to miss as little as possible; and as the movie progressed I would even tap my mom in excitement and cheered for the protagonists in hushed whispers. My mom and I initially went in thinking we were going to get something akin to an anime version of Freaky Friday based on the plot premise. We were not only thoroughly shocked and impressed, but my mom considers it to be one of her favorite all time movies now- and for damn good reason.

“Your Name” gets a must watch recommendation from me. You’d be doing yourself a disservice not to see it just once even if you walk away not liking or falling in love with it. Especially given how accessible it currently is in US theaters, go see it before it completes its Stateside run!

[themoneybuff-blog]

Your Career Is a Multimillion-Dollar Investment, So Manage It Wisely

Over the course of a 40-year career, the average American with a bachelors degree can expect to earn about $1.8 million. When viewed by gender, the cumulative earnings shift somewhat, with women taking home $1.4 million over four decades compared to an average of $2.1 million for men, according to estimates by theIndiana Business Research Center at Indiana Universitys Kelley School of Business, The substantial gender pay gap aside, when viewed in this way, it becomes far more obvious just how valuable ones career can be. And those figures are just the averages. For those who manage a career as actively and shrewdly as they might an investment portfolio, aggressively working to maximize its potential as a financial asset all along the way, a careers worth of earnings could be worth far, far more. The most important part of thinking of your job as an investment is actually pretty basic: realizing that you dont just have to make an investment, you have to manage it as well, says from Emmet Savage, chief investor at MyWallSt, a learning and investing app. What does that mean exactly? Here are some ways to help make the most of your career arc and the amount of financial gain, growth, and opportunity you realize over the course of a lifetime. Change Your Mindset In many ways, treating your career as a multimillion-dollar investment begins with altering the way you view work in general. For most people, a job is just that. Something they do as a must to pay bills without really thinking about their end goal or ideal outcomes, says 35-year-old Greg Dorban, chief marketing officer for Ledger Bennett. Dorban, however, never viewed work on such simplistic terms. In the space of just five years, he progressed from intern to co-owner of a multinational marketing agency that generates eight-figure revenues, a meteoric rise he attributes to starting out with a much broader view of work than merely making ends meet. Early on Dorban established a North Star for himself the goal of owning a business in short order. This shining beacon guided his subsequent steps, inspiring him to take actions to rise above the day to day hustle of earning a living, including consistently investing in himself and in the training needed to maximize his professional potential. Building the right skills will be the best investment you can make as the payoff positively impacts so many areas of your life, not just your wallet, says Dorban. The underlying message of his story, Dorban adds, is that when considering your career, allow yourself to think bigger than simply bringing home a paycheck to cover the next rent or mortgage payment. Then identify the training, new skills, or specific experiences and growth opportunities needed to reach that higher goal. Maximize the Benefits of Everything You Do The idea of always being on and bringing your professional A-game wherever you go can be off-putting to some, but theres something to be said for recognizing the potential of all situations, including the most ordinary of moments. Erica McCurdy, a certified master coach and managing member of McCurdy Solutions Group, calls this utilizing and maximizing the benefits of everything you do, which she says can accelerate the power of your time and efforts with regard to your career. This includes making sure to introduce yourself to everyone at a meeting and at every place you pause on the way to and from the meeting, says McCurdy. It also means collecting business cards, connecting with each person on LinkedIn, including a personal message, and scheduling coffee meetings with those people who pique your interest. Never forget to send thank you notes to those who helped make the day possible, adds McCurdy. Finish up the day by updating your career and contact log so you dont lose any valuable information. There are countless points along the way where you might come into contact with someone who can open a new door for you or somehow play a pivotal role in moving your career to the next level, so keep your eyes open to the possibilities. Dont Pass Up Free Money Maximizing your earnings over the course of a career also means taking some very practical steps as well with the financial opportunities your career presents. This includes being sure to enroll in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, particularly if the employer matches your contributions, as that match is free money and can add up over the course of a lifetime. The first and best advice I give to new hires is to contribute the maximum to their 401(k), says careers analyst Laura Handrick of FitSmallBusiness.com. Many dont understand the concept of compound interest, so as an HR professional, its important to educate employees. Handrick also suggests that if your company offers financial planning workshops, be sure to attend. This is another opportunity to expand your financial skills at no cost to you. But 401(k) matches are merely one example of the financial opportunities available through your workplace. Take Advantage of Tuition Reimbursement Many companies offer tuition reimbursement programs to help cover the costs of continuing education for employees who want to go back to school and obtain degrees or certifications. Brent Michaels, a registered nurse and creator of the website Debt & Cupcakes, says these offers have financial value on multiple levels. I graduated from nursing school with minimal student loan debt and have been able to work toward my Bachelor of Science in nursing and other certifications without spending a dime, he explained. In addition, as I complete classes, I grow professionally and personally, and the knowledge from these courses helped me secure promotions and business opportunities that would not have been available to me otherwise. Even just earning certifications, says Michaels, allows him to stand out as a motivated employee, which pays off in spades over the long run. and On the Job Training Obtaining an advanced degree or certification isnt the only way to distinguish yourself and maximize career earning potential. Many employers offer on the job training related to specific tasks the organization deems important, said Michaels. Dont pass up this opportunity, either. You may also want to actively search out such opportunities if theyre not openly available. I knew that project management was needed for a promotion I was hoping to obtain in the future, but I had no experience. I intentionally volunteered to work on projects so that I could network with the project managers, he explained. I developed relationships and obtained free project management training. This cost nothing more than my time, and allowed me to secure a promotion a few years later that increased my salary by over 25 percent. Networking Your network is everything; use it to maximize your ROI. Lets face it, you can have the best resume, you can be the best employee out there, but having people of trust who can vouch for you is irreplaceable. Nothing can beat that, begins Peter Koch, creator of the site Seller at Heart, which is focused on how to save and make extra money. Koch is obviously on to something: As many as 85% of jobs are filled via networking,according to a LinkedIn survey. This means that when youre searching for new career opportunities to boost your pay, it really is who you know, continues Koch. If youre able to make good impressions on others in your field and provide value to them, theyll be happy to recommend you next time their company has an opening you could fill. Employers want to build a team of people they trust, and a personal recommendation from a colleague will always carry more weight than an unknown applicant emailing their resume. Need an added reason why networking is so important? Switching jobs is often a better way to increase your salary more significantly, as opposed to waiting for a raise at your current company. In fact, those who leave their employers to take a new job are realizing pay raises that are about one-third larger than those who stay put. As of this past July, wages for job hoppers grew 3.8% from a year earlier, compared with 2.9% for those who opted to stay with their current employer, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Lean Out All of these tips and tactics really lead to what career coach Denise Riebman refers to as leaning out with your career.Ribeman recently gave a keynote speech about building your career capital heres what that means. Its really about doing a skill and knowledge gap analysis and asking where you do you want to go to in your career and investing in yourself to get there, she explains. See who is a couple chapters ahead of you and identify the gaps to get there. And like Koch, Riebman says a critical part of leaning out means actively expanding that professional network, or having what she calls an open network, which will ultimately help you to be more successful professionally and financially over the long term. Traditionally people like to stay in our tribes, among people we know, people we went to school with, said Riebman. The problem is that those people have same ideas and same information as you. Having an open network is about building your career capital. Mia Tayloris an award-winning journalist with more than two decades of experience. She has worked for some of the nations best-known news organizations, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the San Diego Union-Tribune. Read more: https://www.thesimpledollar.com/your-career-is-a-multi-million-dollar-investment/